A Private Matter
by Mrs Dionysius O'Gall
Summary: Rating for Chapter 7 is Kplus. Other chapters are K. Lorelai comes upon a clandestine town meeting affecting Luke and her. 'The sight of Luke literally tugged at her heart she felt as if there was a string connecting her heart to his.'
1. Town Meeting

It was a typical spring night in Stars Hollow. The humidity that would soon cloak the town by summer's start had already slowly started to creep in, clashing with the last cool breezes of late winter. Twilight, this night, had already turned to darkness as Lorelai emerged from her home, Paul Anka firmly tethered in her hand.

"Whoa, Paul Anka, Mommy'll make sure there's no Vice-Presidents with guns lurking behind the trees," Lorelai reassured her still-skittish dog. Poor Paul Anka had recently been thoroughly traumatized when Lorelai'd accidentally left the news on one night. Although she repeatedly assured him that he bore no resemblance to a bird, she could tell he was worried.

As it was, tonight was already a departure from the norm. Lorelai was home early from Friday Night Dinner. The new arrangement, now without financial strings, meant that she could walk out without consequence if, make that when, things turned nasty. And once again, her parents had blamed her for the postponed engagement, the "embarrassment" that rescinding all the "save the date" cards was going to cause her mother. So Lorelai came home early, and at a loss for what to do until she could go see Luke, had decided to take Paul Anka out for an extra little stroll. The poor dog got barely any exercise as it was, given who his owner was, she laughingly thought.

Of course, taking a walk with Paul Anka was tricky business. First, after getting him on the leash and then out the door, then helping him overcome his news-induced fears, she also had to plan what she now referred to as 'The Route'. 'The Route' involved intricate planning skills on nights such as tonight. Friday nights were extended April nights, and Luke had his daughter until after nine PM. Lorelai really didn't have a problem with this, as she herself was spending Friday nights with family. But there still was the issue of meeting April and her mother. Luke, even weeks after his heartfelt declaration on Martha's Vineyard, was still inside his head, ignoring her when it came to the subject of his daughter. It hurt Lorelai to know that every other resident of Stars Hollow was permitted to be around Luke and April in the diner, but she had to stay away, to give him space. Maybe she should just show up at the diner one night and introduce herself as 'Mimi', she wryly thought.

So this walk was no different from any other. Lorelai quickly plotted 'The Route' in her mind and took off on a leisurely walk that avoided crossing in front of the diner. Paul Anka happily plodded along; the Town Square was a special favorite of his. Lorelai liked to think that this was because they'd first met there. Walking along the side of the square furthest from the diner, Lorelai thought the town's center seemed unusually quiet for a Friday night. High school was still in session, so at a minimum, kids should be hanging out in the square.

Crossing the street, Lorelai noticed that one of the only lights was coming from Miss Patty's. Inwardly, she smiled--she loved the little kid productions Miss Patty's kids put on. But it was rather late for younger kids, she thought. A feeling of unease came over her as she recalled the secret town meeting that had been held four years before: a secret meeting to discuss a "special issue that the business community had to deal with"; a meeting to which she and Luke had not been invited. That meeting, of course, was convened to discuss the issue of Luke's nephew Jess.

Paul Anka suddenly seemed reticent as they neared Miss Patty's. Hmm. Crowds scared him; solitude usually did not. Lorelai stopped and ruffled his fur, giving him a quick hug and kiss to reassure him. At the same time, she longingly looked in the direction of Luke's. She could see April (she presumed) at the counter, and Luke moving about the diner. The sight of Luke literally tugged at her heart; she felt as if there was a string connecting her heart to his, and she was being tugged away from him when that string should have been drawn taut.

But she was not that kind of girl. She would be the girl who would stand by her man and give him what he needed. She only hoped there was enough of both of them left went it was over.

With a jerk, Lorelai suddenly found herself pulled upward by Paul Anka in the direction of Miss Patty's. She could hear voices, animated and angry, coming from within the building. Among the indistinguishable mass of sound was Taylor's unmistakable high pitch.

"Well I'll be damned, they really are having some sort of secret town meeting," Lorelai swore under her breath. "Shh, Paul Anka, we're gonna get to the bottom of this. Help mommy out by being very quiet, OK?"

Lorelai, picking up Paul Anka, inched closer to the building, toward the side door, which was slightly ajar.

"Order!" Lorelai heard Taylor Doose shout at the assembled townspeople. "People, people, we need to discuss this rationally."

'Oh my god', Lorelai thought, 'he's using the damn megaphone.'

"Miss Patty here," Taylor continued, "agrees with me that we need to put an end to this situation."

"What situation would that be?" Lorelai heard Kirk say.

"Luke Danes and his unlicensed child care center."

Lorelai's jaw, which had certainly had its share of opportunities to drop over the past year, dropped open further than it had ever done.

"Luke has a daycare?" Kirk inquired.

"Yes, and it has been going on for way too long. Months, by my count," Taylor continued. "At the very least, it needs to be licensed. And inspected."

"Oh come on," Lorelai heard Jackson's distinct whine, "The man's kid comes over every day after school. That's hardly a daycare."

Jackson's remark caused the whole assembly to burst into conversation. Lorelai could not make sense of any of the sounds she heard. Lorelai was not worried, however, because she knew that Taylor would take over the meeting as soon as possible.

True to form, the megaphone burst out with "People, order! I demand this town meeting come to order."

The megaphone frightened Paul Anka, so Lorelai put him down on the ground and petted him.

Taylor continued. "I recognize Miss Patty."

"So Taylor, you're saying because the Nardini kid comes to the diner every day after school, that Luke needs to get a license…"

"Yes. I have here Connecticut revised statute number…" Taylor droned on, reciting the law to the crowd.

Andrew piped up. "But that's state law. This is a town…"

"Ah," Taylor replied, "this is why I now propose Stars Hollow ordinance #43252, the Child Care Regulatory Act of 2006…"

"I wrote it!" Kirk piped up, "I used the wording from my doggie day care license…"

"Shut up Kirk," Babette insisted, "Taylor, you said there was also another issue…"

"The marriage issue…" Andrew added.

"Yes. The fact that Lorelai and Luke cannot set a date is causing problems in the business community," Taylor intoned.

Lorelai froze. She loved Stars Hollow, but this was eerily reminiscent of the ribbon incident. Surely, Luke knew nothing of this…he'd implode.

"Isn't that their business?" she heard Jackson defend them.

At least she and Luke had one friend at this clandestine town meeting.

The megaphone was once again needed, as Jackson's comment spurred another town-wide discussion.

"It is a business problem when two prominent businesspeople have a disagreement like this…" Taylor continued. "People, remember what happened the last time these two didn't get along. The town was sued by several of the diner customers who suffered bodily injury, and word quickly got out about…"

Lorelai didn't get a chance to hear more. Paul Anka, in probably the biggest burst of physical energy of his life, took off, straight into the assembled town meeting. Lorelai, holding onto the leash, was half-dragged along, and found herself at the front of the room, a panting Paul Anka plopping his posterior down on the floor.

Lorelai stood in front of the town, the very definition of a deer caught in the headlights.

TBC

Next: Lorelai faces the town, and Paul Anka alerts Luke. 


	2. Eye of the Tiger

Previously: Lorelai stood in front of the town, the very definition of a deer caught in the headlights.

-----

Silence pervaded the studio, as Lorelai stood rooted to the spot. Her eyes were as big as saucers, her mouth open, her chest heaving from the force exerted by Paul Anka as he pulled and dragged her into the studio.

The lights of the studio were in sharp contrast to the dim darkness descending outdoors. Lorelai blinked, once, then again, as her eyes tried to adjust to the light. Leash still in hand, she looked down at Paul Anka, who remained in his seated position on the floor in front of Lorelai. Her hand trembled.

As if choreographed by a canine version of Miss Patty, Paul Anka literally rose to the occasion; yes, physically rose. He punctuated the stunned silence of the townspeople with a growl. A bona fide, actual growl.

It was one of those moments that parents, and even pet owners, look upon later with pride, as if they were themselves instrumental in achieving the feat. Years later, when retelling the story to her children, and then grandchildren, and then great-grandchildren, Lorelai would with pride recall this night. The night that Paul Anka rose up, took his chances, rising up to challenge the town. The night that Paul Anka had the guts to go the distance, and voiced his outrage.

Not too loudly, though.

However, it had the effect of breaking the quiet that had descended upon Miss Patty's studio after Lorelai and Paul Anka's unplanned and surprising interruption of the clandestine town meeting.

As always, the unflappable Miss Patty was the first to recover. "My my, Lorelai darling, you certainly know how to make an entrance," Miss Patty intoned, dulcet syllables huskily rolling off her tongue like dark chocolate pudding dripping off a spoon. "This reminds me of that time in '63 in New Orleans when I popped out of a life-size dish of Bananas Foster…"

Kirk salivated; he could almost taste that dessert…and Paul Anka whimpered a cautionary yelp.

That didn't stop Miss Patty. "I was supposed to be in Havana you know, but Fidel prefers crème brulee…Oh that Fidel…"

From the assembly, Morey had the impudence to ask, "Didn't the flames get you, Patty?"

"Shh, Morey, shut up, will ya?" Babette added in her usual, less-than-quiet voice. "It was probably not a real Bananas Foster."

Kirk chimed in, "I think they call that performance art…"

Taylor had had enough, and he and his megaphone came back to life. "Order, people. This is highly irregular." He banged the gavel on the lectern, not once, not twice, but three times. "Order!"

Someone in the assembly snickered…prompting another "Order!"

"Give it a rest, Taylor." Lorelai finally found her voice, and turned to face Luke's nemesis.

Paul Anka yelped in agreement.

Taylor Doose was not one to be dissuaded by a second-hand dog. "What are you doing here, Lorelai?" he asked.

"What am I doing here? What am I doing here?" Lorelai replied, her voice rising in pitch as she repeated herself.

The assembled townspeople had the grace to keep silent.

"All right, all right," Taylor continued, refusing to answer Lorelai's apparently rhetorical question. "You can stay, but please take a seat. And take that…creature…" he pointed at Paul Anka, "and tether him outside…"

Lorelai had tried, really tried, to teach Paul Anka some tricks. That was one of the benefits of having a dog, right? Hamsters didn't do tricks. Cats were dicey in the trick department as well. But a dog, a dog had multiple uses. Luke had often mocked Lorelai's attempts at teaching Paul Anka some tricks; he was hopeless at the most common of dog tricks. But she persisted, always hoping that in a crunch, the unlikely performer would look the metaphoric tiger in the eye and rise to the occasion.

Rising up, Paul Anka, the dog with more emotional baggage than his mistress, took his time and took his chances. He reared up on his hind legs, and braced his front paws against Lorelai's jacket. Had Lorelai looked down, she would have marveled at this feat, the precise front paw placement, the delicate balancing on the rear paws.

But Lorelai was still distracted by the clandestinely assembled town meeting in front of her, and the town leaders behind her. So, she did not notice that one of Paul Anka's paws was placed exactly over her jacket pocket. The same pocket into which she had placed her cell phone. The cell phone with the keypad facing away from her body. And let's face it, Paul Anka was not a graduate of Kirk's 'The Biggest Loser for Dogs' program, so he was able to exert just enough force to depress one of the numbers.

Lorelai believed in convenience; no lengthy finger and mental workouts for her. So as she had once ably demonstrated to Luke, she was a firm believer in the power of the speed dial. Number one was for her daughter. That one had not gotten a lot of use over the past year, so luckily for all concerned, it wasn't the easiest number to depress. Number two was for Luke's Diner. Even before she had started commingling body parts and assets with Luke, speed dial number two was indispensable to her welfare. It was the number of her friend, her confidant, purveyor of food, and supplier of coffee, all in one. Speed dial number three was simply, 'Work': currently, the front desk of the Dragonfly Inn.

Friends occupied the next row. Sookie's home number occupied speed dial number four, and the kitchen at the Dragonfly Inn, basically Sookie's office, occupied position number five. Michel's home number had been carefully programmed into speed dial number six. (It had taken bribes and a late-night phone call to his lovely mother to obtain it.) Babette's home number occupied number eight, and Luke's apartment, number nine. Zero was for her parents' home, reflecting the way they often made her feel.

But by far the most used number was Lucky Number Seven. Outside left edge. The number she'd worn out one summer when the man who had kissed her so thoroughly at the opening of her inn had felt duty-bound to care for his family and be away from her. The number she used when feeling flirtatious, when feeling lonely, when she needed to tighten that string that bound her heart to his. The number she used just because it was him.

Paul Anka's paw could have struck any or all of these keys. It could have hit the asterisk or the pound sign. But as if written in the stars, Paul Anka rising, depressed Lucky Number Seven.

-----

Across the square, Luke Danes had also noticed that the town seemed quiet that night. But his daughter was there with him and he was enjoying an unusually quiet Friday evening with her in the diner. He had pulled up a stool beside her and was playing a leisurely game of 'Hangman' with her, marveling at the words she chose. He just knew that he had to introduce her to Rory one day…

Luke and April's quiet game was interrupted by the ring of his cell phone. Even as April's eyebrow quirked Spock-like in the direction of the diner's cautionary sign, Luke shrugged his shoulders and answered his phone, smiling as he saw who it was.

"Hey," he answered.

No sound.

"Lorelai?" he continued, not caring that April was overhearing him say the name he dare not say in her presence.

Silence.

"Lorelai?" he repeated.

'Probably accidentally has it in her purse and hit the button,' he thought, readying to turn his phone off.

And then Lorelai's indignant voice pierced his ear.

"How dare you! How dare you call a town meeting behind Luke's back to discuss what is a private matter?"

Remembering a time when he had deliberately used speed dial to catch Lorelai's attention, Luke remained on the phone.

TBC

Next: Luke's brain fog finally lifts as he listens to Lorelai defend him. 


	3. PowerPoint

Previously:  
Remembering a time when he had deliberately used speed dial to catch Lorelai's attention, Luke remained on the phone.

-----

Speed dial was something that Luke had not been familiar with before Lorelai. The one time he'd used it, it came in very handy, he had to admit. The look on Emily Gilmore's face when Lorelai entered the diner was priceless. So, he was grateful for speed dial. Lorelai knew lots of sometimes useless, but occasionally helpful things, he thought. As did her daughter Rory. As did his nephew Jess. And, as he increasingly was learning, his own new daughter, April. Maybe there was something he needed to pay attention to.

Hmmm, perhaps he should program in Lorelai's various numbers (cell, home--hey, that would be his home number one of these days, business) and April and Anna's numbers. Maybe he should get April a cell phone. The few times he'd been at her school, he noticed, with disdain, that a lot of kids seemed to be carrying them. Maybe he could pre-enter the speed dial numbers for April--number one would have to be her mom, number two could be the diner? Nah, she'd probably leave him off and add all her friends.

Then again, he remembered watching a certain Seinfeld episode with Lorelai that addressed that subject. Maybe it was better to just get her the phone. He'd have to make a note to add it to the list of things he needed to discuss with Anna.

Taking notes. There was another area in which his girls intersected. Whoa, now that was a revelation! His girls? April, Lorelai, and sometimes Rory. He fondly recalled Rory's pro-con lists when she was choosing a college and the advice he'd given her about lists. Rory seemed to like his advice. April made lists too. Some she allowed him to see: lists of homework, lists of things to do for various experiments, lists of potential fathers.

And there were the lists she did not let him see. He kind of suspected they had a lot to do with girl stuff. Maybe even boys, he shuddered. He'd have to ask Lorelai about that stuff one day...

Lorelai, though she was all woman, was also very much a girl. He'd never forget the look of childlike delight that enveloped her face when he presented her with that ice rink. Lorelai was a list maker too, possibly the queen of list makers. He remembered back to when she'd first told him that she loved him, really loved him. She actually gave him a pro-con list. He'd told her that he didn't need her to tell him that she loved him: that he knew. Knew from the way she smiled at him, from the way she gave him surprisingly sage advice (though he would never use the surprisingly adjective with her) and from the way she filled in all the holes in his being. Of course, he also knew from the way she totally abandoned herself to him when they made love; of the women he'd been with, he'd never noticed that they were truly all in during their most private moments. But Lorelai, from the start, had been so open and vulnerable, made all the more special because she was very much like him and he knew what it cost her to cede her pride, her independence, to lay it all on the line for him. It made him feel powerful, it made him feel manly, it made him feel loved.

He'd asked her once, when she was sitting on his lap, cajoling, wanting something he'd give her anyways but he loved to see her work him, why she loved him. He told her that he didn't deserve her, or anyone else's love. The next day he found a simple slip of paper on the diner counter under her used coffee cup: "The greatest happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved- loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves." (Victor Hugo). She'd torn it from a calendar, circled it, and added, "take that! Burger boy!)

And now he heard her words in living speed dial.

"How dare you! How dare you call a town meeting behind Luke's back to discuss what is a private matter?"

Followed by incoherent noises.

"Luke loves his daughter, really loves her, and he needs to spend time with her. Who are you to try to get in the way?"

A shiver ran down Luke's spine as he heard the tone of Lorelai's voice when she said the word "really." She rarely used that tone; he'd heard it when she'd expressed her hatred of his grandmother's bedroom set, and when she'd told him that she really loved that damn diamond necklace. It was also the tone of voice she used when she told him she loved him.

There were more incoherent noises, then he heard Miss Patty's voice.

"Now, now, Lorelai, no need to get upset. We only want the town to run smoothly."

More noises followed.

Did Lorelai need his help? Where was she? Did she need him to come over? Is that why she pressed his speed dial and wasn't talking to him?

He looked over at April, pointed at the phone, and kept listening.

Taylor's voice punctured his eardrum. "Lorelai, I'm also asking you to calm down. Frankly, I'm surprised that you of all people don't understand."

"Don't understand what, Taylor?" Lorelai continued. "And don't. Ever. Tell me. To calm down."

Luke smiled in spite of himself. He just knew her teeth were gritted, her eyes flashing daggers at the fussy older man.

Lorelai's admonition didn't stop Taylor. "This daughter of his keeps town revenues down. No one wants to go to the diner when that girl is there."

Lorelai corrected him. "Her name is April."

"Nevertheless," Taylor continued, "Revenues are down. And it affects all the businesses around the square. People are afraid to go anywhere near the diner because of that...April. Kirk? Bring on the charts."

There was silence on the phone, then he heard Lorelai blurt out: "PowerPoint, you made PowerPoint slides about Luke and his daughter?"

Luke didn't exactly know what PowerPoint was, but it involved a slideshow, and Lorelai didn't seem to like it, so it must not be good. He'd check with April after the call.

"Let's look at a chart of revenue versus the hours that Luke's kid visits the diner," Kirk stated.

There was a lot of noise.

"Lorelai! There was no need to pull the computer's power cord out of the socket!" Miss Patty exclaimed.

Wait a second, Luke thought. This sounded suspiciously like a town meeting. A town meeting that he hadn't been invited to.

"And don't blame your dog!" he heard Kirk add.

Dog? Lorelai was at a secret town meeting with Paul Anka?

Luke strode to the diner windows and looked out in the direction of Miss Patty's. Sure enough, the lights were on. On a Friday night.

Damn. Damn Taylor. Damn town.

Then he turned around and looked at April, who was still sitting at the counter. Jeez. He had to get over to Miss Patty's. But he couldn't leave April alone. He looked at the cell phone's digital clock. Anna wasn't coming any time soon.

He resumed listening in on the secret town meeting that both Lorelai and Paul Anka were at.

Miss Patty and Babette were apparently trying to reason with Lorelai.

Babette asked, "But doesn't it bother you, sugar?"

Silence.

Luke wondered why Babette would ask Lorelai if it bothered her that April came to the diner. Lorelai'd been such a trooper, he thought, making sure he had his space and privacy with April, never just showing up, never bugging him...

Miss Patty chimed in: "Luke was really in a bad way when you two broke up last year, but this is worse. We're all scared to go in there...Babette, remember how he glared at us when we merely glanced over from Taylor's Shoppe?"

More silence from Lorelai.

"And we never see you there, Lorelai," Andrew added. "If you were there, we'd know it was safe to go in."

"Hmmm, maybe he doesn't want you to be around her," Taylor added.

Now Lorelai chimed in. "Luke has had a terrible and wonderful thing happen and he just needs to process. I support his being a dad. And if it means I'm not allowed to go into the diner, then that's the way it's got to be. That's the way it is when you respect and love someone."

Paul Anka barked.

Luke was thunderstruck. Not allowed to go into the diner? But...

"And I don't expect any of you to love Luke Danes, but I do expect you to respect him..."

Luke had heard enough.

"April!"

"Luke..." April hesitatingly responded.

"Come over here..."

He put his arm around her shoulder and dragged her over to the window.

"See that building over there?"

April nodded.

"I need to go over there right now. I won't be long. Can you stay here for a few minutes while I take care of something?

"Can I come?"

Luke hesitated.

---------

Next: Luke shows up at the clandestine town meeting. 


	4. The Nexus

Previously:  
"Can I come?"

Luke hesitated.

-----

Luke had been trying to secure Anna Nardini's confidence over the past few weeks. He still had her words in the back of his mind, the words and attitude and tone when he once, only once, tried to change the plans he'd made with his, no their, kid. The constant specter of her cutting him off from his daughter loomed over him and he made sure his behavior and demeanor were letter-perfect.

April's "Can I come?" posed a dilemma for Luke. He didn't want to expose her to the ugliness of the apparent town meeting. He didn't want her to know that the town was gossiping about her. He didn't want her to hear a woman she did not know defend him and his relationship with her. No kid should be put in that position.

So, coming along was out of the question. That left only the alternative of leaving her in the diner.

However, that too, was out of the question. He had already sent the kitchen help home, and there were no customers. Theoretically, he could lock April in the diner and leave her there, and she'd probably be safe. But what if there was a fire? Or a robbery? Never mind that there hadn't been such events in all the time he had lived in Stars Hollow. He paced the distance between the windows and the counter, and then stopped in his tracks as he shuddered and remembered the fire at the Independence Inn.

Luke could also send April upstairs to his apartment. That posed the same problem as leaving her in the diner. Moreover, the apartment had not been April-proofed. What if she asked about the cinnamon toothpaste shelf, and all the girlie items on that shelf? What about the photos of Lorelai and him? And what if she opened his nightstand drawer and saw his…well…supplies. All this compounded Luke's dilemma.

And then there was another complication on a whole new level: Anna Nardini. What would he say to her if she came early or he was late and she found April had been left alone? Would she ever let April be alone with him again? He could just imagine her ranting at him about how he'd imprisoned her daughter Rapunzel-like up in his dark apartment.

But then, what about Lorelai? He could still hear snippets of the goings-on at the clandestine town meeting. It appeared worse than the time the town had debated their relationship. Lorelai was taking hit after hit and verbally fighting back, but this was his problem, not hers. Words like "day care" and "license" and "tax revenue" and "freak side show" and "that Nardini woman" were bandied about, and Lorelai steadfastly sparred back using words like "responsible" and "private" and "none of anyone's business."

Luke was torn between wanting to do right by the woman he loved, and needing to care for his kid and not antagonize her mom. While he pondered these things, April stood next to him, idly playing with the cords to the blinds, looking at him expectantly. The look in her eyes, and the sound of Lorelai's voice, combined to help him make up his mind.

"Come on, kid, let's go."

April had a wry yet expectant look on her face. She'd wanted to head over to the studio ever since she'd overheard that it was a nexus. That sounded interesting to her, though not in a Captain Kirk meets Captain Picard in that really bad Trek movie kind of way.

"Hold it there, kid." Luke placed his hand on his daughter's shoulder. "Let me get you a flashlight."

Luke disappeared into the storeroom and came back out with the largest flashlight April had ever seen. It was the kind that would have been very useful on the XFiles, she thought.

Luke and his daughter left the diner. As Luke locked the front door, he explained his game plan to April.

------

"Listen April, we're going over to what they call a town meeting."

"Cool! You've mentioned them before."

"Only I'm going to ask you not to go in there. They're discussing some pretty adult material there."

April looked very disappointed.

"I just want you to wait outside while I'm in there, OK?"

April nodded, as they crossed the street to the town square.

"I need to help my…friend. When I'm done, I promise you that you can come in and meet everyone in town."

"Sounds like a plan," April added, grabbing Luke's hand and pointing out one of the stars above. "We studied that last year," she proclaimed.

"Really."

"Yeah, really."

Luke looked down at his hand. It was the first time April had grabbed hold of it.

The walk over to Miss Patty's was short. As they neared the door, Luke noticed that Lorelai was standing in front of the assembled people. He felt a mixture of pride in Lorelai and shame in himself for her being in that position.

Turning, he handed the flashlight to April.

"Keep this turned on," he instructed. "I'm just going in for a few minutes, kid, OK?"

April nodded in agreement as Luke took off his flannel shirt and spread it on the ground for her to sit on.

Wearing a grey t-shirt, and no flannel, he walked to the studio door and overheard Lorelai say, "Shut up Taylor. It's a private matter and that's that."

Luke stood in the doorway and glared at Taylor. The room went silent. Yet as much as he wanted to continue to glare at Taylor, his eyes were automatically drawn to Lorelai. She turned, her eyes meeting his. They were blazing, magnificent, yet sad. Looking at her, he suddenly and with clarity knew exactly what he needed to do.

He reached out and took the leash out of her hand; his other arm snaked around her to the small of her back.

"You," he snarled at Taylor, Miss Patty, and Kirk, "I'll deal with later."

Lorelai was still looking at him with what looked like a combination of anger and relief. He firmly guided her out of the building, dragging Paul Anka along with them.

"How did you know?" Lorelai asked with a sigh of relief.

Luke held up his phone.

"But I didn't call you…" Lorelai trailed off as she searched her pockets for her phone.

"Doesn't matter," Luke replied, as he backed her against the wall of Miss Patty's and kissed her. His hand cradled her face and as his thumb stroked along the side of her face, he added, "Go home and get packed."

Lorelai's mouth opened in a perfect "O".

"We're going away for the weekend," Luke supplied, before kissing her once more, "and bring your dress."

"Why is my kid loitering outside this building?"

Luke jumped away from Lorelai. "April," he guiltily exclaimed, turning to the other side of the door where April patiently sat on the grass.

"Anna…" Lorelai whispered, then gasped "Oh no," as Paul Anka broke free.

"Oh my," Kirk added from the doorway, "Luke's having his moment."

-  
Next: Do they or don't they? 


	5. Thirteen Years

Previously:  
"Anna..." Lorelai whispered, then gasped "Oh no," as Paul Anka broke free.

"Oh my," Kirk added from the doorway, "Luke's having his moment."

-----

Anna Nardini was at best, a conflicted woman. For thirteen years, she'd kept a secret. Only she knew the name of the father of her child. For thirteen years, she rationalized that her former lover's quirks were the reason she'd denied her daughter the love of a father. For thirteen years, she held the bitterness of what really was just an ordinary breakup against the man who had fathered her child. For thirteen years, she held her breath and hoped she wouldn't run into him, that she wouldn't run into a mutual acquaintance who would detect a resemblance.

For thirteen years, her luck held up. But there was one thing she hadn't bargained for, hadn't expected: the tenaciousness that was genetically inherent to father and daughter.

For twelve years, she had lied to her daughter. "Dada," an infant April vocalized. "Mama, Mama," Anna coached her to say instead. "Who's my daddy?" a three-year-old April asked, looking adorable peeking over her little glasses." And the questions did not stop there; they only escalated through the years. "Why does Freddy have a daddy?" "Why don't I have a dad?" "If I don't have a dad, how was I made?" "Mom, did you use a turkey baster?" "Mom, did I grow in a test tube?" "Who's my father, Mom?" "Why didn't he love me?"

And in the thirteenth year after she first started the lie, the stars aligned to provide her daughter with the mental and physical gifts to conduct a search on her own. When the science teacher called her to inform her about her daughter's science fair project, she didn't want to believe it. Not only had April done her research, she'd hit the nail on the head. Anna had gone to the science fair that evening, and staying in the background, observed as the man she once loved was punched in the gut by her daughter's revelation.

And then, nothing. She breathed a sigh of relief. She'd heard he'd married a lawyer, and was worried that he'd use his legal connections to bring the wrath of every father's rights movement in the country down upon her. In spite of herself, she smiled--because she knew he could and would go on a major rant on the subject. She knew that sentiment, and the law, would be on his side. But nothing happened.

Then suddenly, on a snowy evening in January, the phone rang. She knew as soon as he spoke that he was going to want contact. So, she invited him to the home they had once playfully frequented, taking care to make sure her, no their, daughter would be out on a school activity, so they could talk. And he was true to form. Initially, only wanting to know if he could fix things financially. That was Luke, Mr. Fix-it. And a few days later, he adamantly demanded visitation. A relationship. A presence in their lives.

Anna felt the control she'd had for thirteen years slip away, quickly, quickly, quickly. When he tried to change an arrangement he'd made, she came down on him hard, hoping that would scare him away. It didn't. Since then, he'd been letter-perfect. She had him. He was even following her demands that he not embroil April in any dating or personal relationship he may have been involved in. And when she quizzed April after April came home from her visits to his diner, it appeared that he was holding true to his promise.

In short, Luke had passed the test.

So Anna was surprised to find the diner dark when she arrived a few minutes early for April's pickup. Anna had started to enjoy the evenings without April; she could meet a friend, maybe even go out for a date. This night had ended earlier than planned and so she decided to swing by the diner and actually enter the place and talk to Luke. When she saw that it was dark, she was confused. Luke had promised to tell her if they left the premises. She circled the square and then saw April, sitting on the lawn outside Miss Patty's Studio. Ah, Miss Patty. Still in business after all these years…

April appeared to be alone, although the building seemed full of people. Suddenly, a man, a woman and a dog came rushing out of the building and…were the two adults making out? Anger arose within her as she clearly saw that the man had to be Luke. She parked her car across the street, got out and ran over towards April, Luke, and the woman.

"Why is my kid loitering outside this building?" Was that really her: unflappable, cool Anna Nardini, shrieking at Luke and some woman?

At the sound of her voice, the couple separated. It was Luke! He turned toward April and said something to her. The woman stood there, eyes wide, staring at her as the dog suddenly took off.

The dog ran towards April, who giggled and patted the ground next to where she was seated. But the dog kept running past April, who got up and started chasing after him.

"Luke, what's his name?" she turned her head to shout back at her father.

"Paul Anka!" the woman yelled. "Paul Anka, come back!"

'Well, fly me to the moon,' Anna thought. 'Who the hell names a dog Paul Anka?'

-----

'So this is Anna,' Lorelai thought, watching her as she watched April chase after Paul Anka. For a brief moment, she actually wished that Emily were here; Emily would know the proper etiquette for this sort of situation. Because it's really common to be caught kissing the man who fathered a child (but didn't know for thirteen years) with the woman who just spooked your dog.

Lorelai squared her shoulders, and subconsciously channeled both her mother and her paternal grandmother. She was the reigning Lorelai, after all, and needed to do Gran proud.

So, ever both her mother's daughter and a Gilmore in this type of situation, Lorelai extended her hand, plastered a smile on her face, and said, "Hi, I'm Lorelai Gilmore. Paul Anka's not gonna run far. Everything scares him."

"Yeah, yeah, hi," Anna responded, perfunctorily shaking her hand.

Unfortunately, both Anna and Lorelai suffered from that disease endemic to many women: the sizing up of other women. For a second, they silently engaged in that activity, each comparing body parts, hair, teeth, shoes, clothing. But Lorelai was tired, exhausted from her unexpected inquisition in front of the town. And Anna's heart rate was still elevated from the momentary panic she felt when she'd found the diner unoccupied. Each only had time to wonder what they had in common.

Introducing Luke Danes, common denominator.

Paul Anka had turned and was still running, April still chasing him. They were getting awfully close to the street. Even a street without a lot of traffic in a town like Stars Hollow when most residents are at a town meeting can be dangerous. But Paul Anka turned once more, and Luke and Anna took off, each shouting April's name. Luke stepped on the leash and brought Paul Anka to a halt.

Relieved that Paul Anka was safe, and that April would be OK, Lorelai was irritated to see that Kirk had joined her.

"So, you guys still eloping tomorrow? Because I'm a paralegal and can prepare all the necessary documents…"

"Shut up, Kirk," Lorelai spat out, and headed for home.

-  
Next: Lorelai waits for Luke to finish up his baby mamma business, and come home with Paul Anka, 


	6. Sixteen Years

Previously:  
"So, you guys still eloping tomorrow? Because I'm a paralegal and can prepare all the necessary documents..."

"Shut up, Kirk," Lorelai spat out, and headed for home.

------

Lorelai dragged herself into her living room, and literally fell onto her couch. Her instincts were right: this had been a very tiring evening. First, the Friday Night Dinner she'd left earlier than usual. Then she stumbled onto the secret town meeting. Lorelai still couldn't believe the nerve of Taylor and the town. It was difficult enough struggling with the postponed engagement and the April issue on her own, and she could only guess that it was a lot worse for Luke. And how was it that Luke knew to show up at the meeting?

Oh God. What if he thought she'd been in on the meeting all along? That she was part of it all. Surely, he knew her better than that. Then she remembered what he'd done when he came to Miss Patty's, and relaxed. He'd come into the meeting, pulled her out and asked her to get packed, and kissed her without regard to the fact that the town was there and that his kid was there, too.

"Pack!" Lorelai blurted out loud. He'd wanted her to go home and pack, something about going away for the weekend, and to bring her dress along. And then Kirk had made that comment about eloping this weekend. Oh my god! Was Luke crazy? He wanted to elope this weekend? They couldn't elope right now…she'd have to check with Rory, and how could she marry a man whose kid she did not know?

And then there was that Anna woman. Although Lorelai had never met her before tonight, it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the beautiful, dark-haired woman shrieking at Luke was his ex. She could only hope that the experience hadn't further emotionally scarred Paul Anka. April, on the other hand, seemed to be a nice kid; any kid who'd take to Paul Anka rated highly with her.

Luke's ex. Now there was a loaded phrase. She'd always had problems with his exes, the ones she knew of, that is. Rachel. Nicole, his wife. Oh God. She'd be in the same category as Nicole. A wife of Luke Danes. A member of the second wives' club. Although in her heart, she knew that what Luke and Nicole had had was not exactly a real marriage, it still stung that she would not be his first wife. And for some odd reason, even though she tried hard not to be that type of woman, she sometimes felt sad knowing that any kid of theirs would not be Luke's first. Which was, she acknowledged, a totally hypocritical attitude to have, as she herself had a child by someone else.

Lorelai turned on the TV, so she could check on the time. She wondered how long Luke would be gone. She supposed not too long, since he had Paul Anka with him. It was obvious that Anna was angry with him, but she also imagined that they wouldn't argue in front of their kid.

Lorelai turned down the volume and stretched out on the couch. The elopement still gnawed at her. Yes, she'd sort of agreed that an elopement would be fine with her when they were at the Vineyard, but that was when she'd hoped she'd get to meet April properly as Luke's future wife. That had not yet happened. And what was with Luke's spontaneous announcement that they were going away…tomorrow? She didn't want their wedding to be spontaneous--the last time Luke had gotten married spontaneously, it had not turned out so well.

At least he'd talked to her about eloping.

Lorelai idly flipped through the channels, nothing appealing to her. She muted the set and closed her eyes. Yet though she was both physically and mentally exhausted, she couldn't rest. Her mind was racing like a NASCAR driver on crack, reviewing the evening, reviewing what she'd told the town meeting, and reviewing the encounter with Anna. And through it all, one thing remained constant: the look on Luke's face when he saw her at the town meeting.

Lorelai thought that she'd catalogued every Luke-face there was. Before they started "dating", his facial expressions had been easily classified and predictable. After their first date, Lorelai made the ecstatic acquaintance of several new Luke-faces, all of them delightfully worthy of a dirty! And as they shared hopes and dreams, more were added. Of course, the latest addition was a collection of 'proud daddy' faces, which had the effect of both making Lorelai indescribably proud and sad at the same time. Tonight, Luke had unveiled yet another new face. The look on his face when he stood in the doorway at Miss Patty's was not an easy one to describe, but it was memorable. A mixture of possessiveness, pride, and pain had passed over his features as he barged into the meeting. He was caveman, with a helping of proud fiancé, with a dollop of sadness at having to be in this situation.

Of all the new Luke faces, Lorelai best loved the ones that hurt her the most: proud daddy. It hurt because he was so obviously still compartmentalizing his life, but she loved what she saw. The night they became engaged, he talked about kids and she agreed that kids would be nice. That all seemed abstract in the wake of her rift with Rory, until she began dreaming of babies. Holding Sookie's Martha, she experienced feelings that Sookie pointed out were normal feelings of baby-lust for a woman her age. Sookie even teased her on occasion that Paul Anka was a substitute for a baby.

Yet her feelings only intensified as time went on, and when she first saw the dad-look on Luke's face, all her dreams fell into place. She wanted his baby. She giggled, thinking about what a character their personalities would yield. What she feared about having another kid at her age was erased by the way Luke seemed to take to parenthood. Suddenly all the obstacles and problems she'd worried about when she had her pregnancy scare almost a year ago melted away. For unlike Christopher, Luke was all in when it came to being a parent. She wouldn't have to do it alone.

For sixteen years, she had rationalized that the things Christopher had to do were the reasons he stayed away from their daughter, denying Rory a father's love. For sixteen years, she secretly wondered if she herself was the cause of Christopher's absence--by refusing to marry him when they were but children themselves. For sixteen years, she held her breath and hoped Christopher would finally follow through on his promises to Rory.

For sixteen years, Christopher all but stayed away. And then he suddenly showed up and became more involved. And once he did that, there was one thing she hadn't bargained for, hadn't expected: that his presence in their lives was motivated by wanting to be with her, not by wanting to be a father.

For sixteen years, she lied to her daughter to spare her the pain of an uncaring father. "Dada," an infant Rory vocalized. "Mama, Mama," Lorelai coached her to say instead, because she couldn't deliver Dada to her kid. "Who's my daddy?" a three-year-old Rory asked, and Lorelai would tell her, but lie about why he wasn't there. And the questions did not stop there; they only escalated through the years. "Why does Lane's daddy live with her?" "Why doesn't my dad live with us?" "If daddy won't come to my birthday, does he like me at all?" "Mom, did you make him go away?" "Mom, did I make him go away?" "Why does he want to be GiGi's father, but not mine?" "Why doesn't he love me?"

And in the twenty-first year, after Rory was well and truly done, a newly minted adult, Christopher's stars aligned to provide their daughter with monetary riches. When Christopher informed her about his new circumstances, she didn't want to believe that he would suddenly be more of a presence just because he had money. When the raising of the kid was all over, he thought he could ante up and buy his way in.

And then there was Luke, who was often a fatherly presence in Rory's life when all along, there was a kid he didn't know about.

No, this time, if she did it, she wouldn't have to do it alone.

Lorelai heard the key turn in the door, and before she could sit up, Paul Anka bounded into the living room to greet her. As she fussed over him, Luke came to her, placed a kiss on her cheek, and said, "You're incredible."

She turned to look at him. His face was the one he'd worn in the doorway of Miss Patty's studio.

"I know you're tired, but we need to talk."

------

Next:  
Luke and Lorelai make a list together. 


	7. Listmaking

Previously:  
"I know you're tired, but we need to talk."

------

"Hey," Lorelai answered, reaching up to affectionately squeeze his arm, "how'd it go?"

"Fine. Good." He stood behind the couch, hesitant in a way, as if this was no longer his place.

"April--she's OK?"

"April's good."

"Looks like this one got his exercise for the week, no scratch that, make it for the month..." Lorelai turned her attention to Paul Anka for a moment, and then, in an almost-inaudible voice, asked, "She wasn't too mad, I hope?"

No answer.

Lorelai turned to Luke.

Again, no answer, just a sheepish shrug.

"So, that was Anna?"

"Yes."

"I can see where April gets her charm from..." Lorelai teased, attempting to ease the tension with some humor.

Luke was not in the mood. "We need to talk, Lorelai."

"So talk, Luke. I want to talk too."

"You first?"

"'K. Why not." Lorelai moved to the edge of the couch, told Paul Anka to scoot and go to the kitchen and get something to eat, and patted the space next to her. Luke came around and sat down, hands clasped together, elbows resting on his knees, chin resting on his hands.

Lorelai reached out and placed her hand on his thigh, giving it a reassuring squeeze. This was going to be awkward enough as it was.

"So," she began, "about eloping this weekend. That IS what you were suggesting?"

"Yes."

"See, I don't think that's such a good idea."

Luke looked up in shock, surprised by her response. "But I thought you wanted to get married? You said you were worried..."

"I do want to marry you, Luke, I do. More than anything. But where is this coming from? For weeks, no, months now, you've been too overwhelmed. You told me yourself, it was too much for you. That you were dizzy…"

Luke tried to interrupt.

"No, wait. There's more. I can't begin to imagine how overwhelming it must be, finding out that you have a long-lost daughter. I mean, it's not like finding out that you have a long-lost turtle…so I understand, I really do. Remember, I'm the person who found out that she was pregnant at sixteen. I do understand about feeling overwhelmed," she stated fiercely. "But from what I see, not much has changed since you first told me that. So, talk to me..."

"I do want to marry you, Lorelai. And I thought, in Martha's Vineyard, that you were OK with eloping..."

"But Hon, you're not exactly Mr. Spontaneity. It took you eight years to get to first base with me. It took you weeks to meet with April. It took two whole months for you to tell me about April. And I understand. You don't do change well, and you certainly don't do it spontaneously."

"I know. It's just the way I am, and I don't know that I can change that."

"And?" Lorelai prompted him to continue.

"And here you were planning something huge months in advance. A chapel. Duck sausage rolls. And you know I don't believe in planning things more than a couple of days in advance...so I thought we should just go. Just suck it up and get it over with."

"Suck it up and get it over with? Now that's what every bride-to-be wants to hear her fiancé say," Lorelai attempted to shout, her voice hoarse. She tried to conceal the hurt she felt but did not quite succeed: her trembling body and teary eyes betrayed her.

Luke turned to look at her. "Aw jeez, now I've made you cry..."

Lorelai tried to wipe the traitorous tears from her eyes, but Luke stopped her.

"No, be honest. If I made you sad..."

Lorelai laughed bitterly, pointing at him. "Oh that's rich, YOU telling ME to be honest..."

Luke stopped her hand in mid-flail, and gently turned her palm upward and placed a soft penitential kiss upon it. "I'm sorry." He then looked up at her and with his other hand, slowly wiped the tears from her eyes. "I heard just about everything you said, you know."

"Heard...what?" Lorelai whispered.

"You. At the town meeting...that was a town meeting, wasn't it?"

"Yeah," Lorelai affirmed. "Yet another secret town meeting to which we weren't invited."

Luke reached over and got a tissue, held it to her nose with one hand and held her head with the other as she blew her nose.

"You heard everything?"

"Yeah. I got a call on my cell."

"But I didn't..."

"I heard you, Lorelai. I heard everything. And I am so sorry."

"That you overheard me make an ass of myself groveling in front of Taylor and the town?"

"No. No, Lorelai. I'm so proud of you. And I could kick myself for ever putting you in that position." Now Luke's voice was beginning to crack. "I didn't know..."

Now Lorelai became the comforter, softly rubbing his hand between hers. "Didn't know what?"

"You. And April...and the diner."

"I thought you didn't want me around your kid..."

"I thought you were mad that I had a kid and didn't want to be reminded of her..."

Lorelai risked a sideways glance at Luke. "But you never asked me to meet her..."

Surprise tinged Luke's voice. "But you never asked to come by when she's here..."

Lorelai sighed in frustration.

"And her mother…doesn't want to confuse her…she thinks a sudden dad is enough to deal with…without another…"

"I would never try to replace her mom, Luke, you know that…"

Luke's voice rose. "Besides, you already met her...that day...when you found out..."

"Does she even know who I am?" Lorelai interrupted.

Luke's silence spoke volumes to Lorelai.

"See Hon, this is why we can't elope tomorrow. As much as I love you, as much as I know you're the one, I can't marry someone right now who won't include me in his child's life."

Luke's silence continued.

"I know you think it's your personal issue, a private matter. But when two people get married, Luke, they need to share their lives."

"You think I don't know that?" Luke angrily retorted. "What about when you wouldn't even set a date because of Rory? You expected me to wait until you, and you alone, worked things out with Rory. Why is this any different?"

"Because I never lied to you about Rory..."

Luke had no response to that, except to bow his head.

"I'm sorry, Luke, that was a low blow..."

"No, I deserve it."

"No. I love you, and..."

"In spite of April..."

"No," Lorelai managed to laugh, "in spite of you." She leaned over and placed a kiss on his lips, and when he did not draw back from her, scooted over onto his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Luke hesitated a moment, then relaxing, cradled her head with his hand and kissed her. Pausing for a breath, he murmured, "Did you mean what you said?"

"Just now?" Lorelai asked, breathless, as she kissed him.

"No." Luke waited until she finished her kiss. "At the town meeting."

"Every word. I meant every word."

Luke squeezed her tightly to him. "I don't deserve you, Lorelai."

"I know," she said, laughing, her heart truly unburdened for the first time in a long while.

"I have to know..."

Lorelai interrupted him with more kisses.

"When you pulled the plug...the look on Taylor's face?"

"Priceless," Lorelai answered.

------

Some time later, Lorelai rubbed her cheek against Luke's shoulder and smiled against it. They had made their way up the stairs to their bedroom and then made love. Luke had promptly fallen asleep after their desperately frenzied lovemaking. Lorelai, though, remained awake, energized by her renewed sense of connection with Luke, and the renewed sense of hope she was feeling. She replayed their lovemaking in her mind, amazed at just how much Luke had heard her say at the town meeting, and thrilled at the way he showed his gratitude. For the first time in many weeks, she'd felt truly free and she'd noticed a difference in Luke as well. That string connecting her heart to his? No longer loose.

So here she was, in bed with a gloriously naked, sleeping Luke. 'He's in my bed, not Anna's, she reminded herself. 'Just keep remembering he loves me.' Pressing a soft kiss against his shoulder, Lorelai let her lips wander down his arm to his tattoo. She placed a kiss in the center of the pattern, then moistened the tip of her tongue and slowly used it to trace her way around it. First one way, then the other, she slowly traced her way around the intriguing pattern.

The sensations she caused never failed to wake him up.

"Happy?" Luke sleepily whispered, pulling her close to him.

"Mmmhmm," Lorelai purred, "nothing like make-up sex."

"I hate fighting."

"Me too."

"About tomorrow," Luke began, "I guess it's too late to elope now..."

Lorelai took charge. "Sit up. Seriously."

"Where are you going?" Luke responded as he sat up in bed.

Lorelai walked over to her dresser, and picked up a pad of paper and pencil.

"Not that I'm not enjoying the view," Luke smirked as his nude fiancée walked back to their bed, "but what the..."

He held the covers back for her, and adjusted them as she sat up against the pillows.

"This worked once before. I know you're not a list guy, but I seem to remember one time when you made a list."

"I made a list?"

"Yes sir. You," she poked him in the chest, "made a list. Do the words 'I draw the line at pirates' bring back any memories?"

Luke chuckled, remembering the first time they'd made love.

"So, I think the only way to solve this wedding date problem is to make a list of what you and April need before you can commit to a date."

Luke once again felt overwhelmed by his feelings for this woman. That she would consider the needs of his kid just about put him in the mood to watch that Brian Piccolo movie.

"Luke...Luke? You still with me?" he heard Lorelai demand.

Lorelai waved the pencil at him. "OK, so we'll make a list, and then we'll sleep on it, well not on top of it, but sleep and then we'll look at it and see if there's anything I can do and what you can do and what other people like..."

"Anna..." Luke supplied.

"...can do." Lorelai kissed Luke on the shoulder. "And then we'll look at it like once a week and see how we're doing. Start writing, Burger Boy..."

She handed him the notepad and pencil, and headed for the closet. Pulling on a robe, she tied it and headed downstairs.

------

Next: Paul Anka owns up. 


	8. It's a Dog's Life

Previously:  
She handed him the notepad and pencil, and headed for the closet. Pulling on a robe, she tied it and headed downstairs.

-----

When Woman shooed him out of the living room, Paul Anka had barely enough stamina left to drag his tired body into the kitchen. This had been, without a doubt, the busiest day of his life. Paul Anka panted, looking at his bowls. Hopefully the water was fresh. Woman sometimes forgot. Luckily, she had Man around. Man, though he acted as if he didn't care for him, actually took good care of his needs. For example, he often sneaked specially cooked meats to him behind Woman's back, and told him never to let Woman know.

There was only one thing he didn't like about Man. When Man and Woman slept together, they usually allowed him to sleep next to them, on the big comfy bed on the floor. But several times a week, Man would remove him from the room. He didn't quite understand why. He did once hear Man explain to Woman that "I don't want to worry about that dog biting me in the ass while we're…you know…" and another time, Man said, "I wouldn't feel comfortable doing it while he's watching." Paul Anka had no idea what Man meant. On those nights, Paul Anka made his way downstairs and curled up on the couch.

Like tonight. After he ate and drank, he plodded back into the living room to find that Man and Woman were gone. So he curled up, patiently waiting for Woman (it was always her, not Man) to summon him upstairs.

Paul Anka really loved Woman. For the first time in his life, he'd met his equal. She understood him, at least as well as any human could understand a dog. For one thing, she changed his name. Cocoa. What were his mean previous humans thinking? He wasn't even brown! He actually liked the name Paul Anka. People who talked to Woman when she took him outside always said interesting things about the name, and some even sang a song. Something about love and puppies.

When they first met, Paul Anka was traumatized. He'd been rescued but what good was a rescue when you were stuck in a cage? Then Woman saw him and took him home. He liked her house--there were no cats, no birds, no annoying rodents. Only Woman and Man.

When he got there, the first thing he did was subject Woman to his usual suite of tests. He always tested a new human, figuring that if they passed, he belonged there. No one had ever passed his tests.

First, he ignored all the toys that Woman had bought. Next, he pretended to be scared of many of the things in the house: tissue holders, paperbacks, CDs, framed pictures, and lint.

And the best test? He liked to wait until the human did something really human and then pretend to go crazy. For Woman, he waited until she drank something. And Woman passed the test! The first to do so! She picked him up and rocked him until he pretended to calm down. He liked that. He also saw Woman do that to Man, a lot--holding Man and calming him down and he saw Man do that to Woman too.

But tonight was the busiest and strangest night of his life. The evening started out with a lovely walk with Woman. Woman let him cross the big grassy place where she'd first met him. He almost didn't mind the leash when she was so nice to him. And then he went with her to a big scary place with lots of people. The weird people he'd sometimes meet when he left the house were all there. And he'd sensed danger. His fore-dogs were all Polish Lowland Sheepdogs and he knew how to protect cute cuddly things. And he did his best to protect Woman: growling and leaping, running off to cause a distraction.

When he ran, a Girl saw him. She was nice. She played with him and ran after him, but this caused Man to become very scared. And Man chased them and brought them both back. Woman said she was going home, and he was left with Man and Girl and Other Woman, a female who had come up yelling at them. He'd been scared but Man seemed to know Other Woman, so Paul Anka felt better.

Other Woman got really angry, the way humans do, with Man. It seemed like Other Woman did not like Woman. That made him angry and he growled at Other Woman. Girl came up to him and was asking him questions that he really couldn't answer. Like who his mother and father were, and she used the word 'breed' a lot. Girl also mentioned something called a Universal Translator and wondered if it would work for dogs.

Man really liked Girl. Paul Anka could tell because he spoke to Girl as nicely as he spoke to Woman. Man asked Other Woman to not be angry in front of Girl. Paul Anka also liked that. Some of the people in the big room came out, and were bothering Man. Man told them to leave him and Woman and Girl alone. Man then asked Other Woman to take Girl home and said he would call Other Woman later.

Then Man petted him, and said he was a very good dog and that Woman would be worried about both of them. Man saw that he was tired, and picked him up and carried him almost all the way home. When they got home, they were both so happy to see Woman. And Woman certainly seemed happy to see them. She spent a lot of time running her fingers through his fur, before she sent him off to the kitchen.

And now, as it was well into nighttime, Paul Anka lay curled up on the living room couch. He couldn't wait to go upstairs to sleep next to the bed that Man and Woman slept in. Since they'd come home, it had been quiet except for a few times when he heard Woman make sounds. He was used to those sounds. He only heard them when she and Man were alone in the bedroom, and he wasn't worried because Woman always was so happy afterwards. And Man? Even happier.

He heard a door open, and pretended not to look. It wouldn't do to seem too eager. In less than the time it took him to scratch his ear, Woman came down the stairs and walked over to him. She was very happy.

"Come on, Paul Anka," she said in her perkiest voice, "Let's go have a treat!" She pulled on his collar and he rolled off the couch (he did have a busy evening and needed to conserve his energy!) and together they went into the kitchen.

"Quite a night, huh?" she remarked as she handed him his favorite treat. "Mommy's so sorry for putting you through that town meeting. Believe me, I had no idea…"

Woman got herself a slice of pizza and heated it, sitting down at the kitchen table. "Mommy's got to make her own list." Paul Anka couldn't see what she was doing, but it didn't take long. She then got up and pressed the special talking button in the hall.

Paul Anka recognized Sugar-Toe Girl's voice. "Mom? It's Rory. I tried calling you on your cell, but it was busy all night. Give me a call tomorrow, 'K? Nothing bad. Nothing good either. Just wanted to see how you and Luke are doing."

"My phone!" Woman exclaimed, startling Paul Anka.

Phone. That was one of the items Paul Anka sometimes pretended to be scared of. He watched as Woman looked for it.

Paul Anka decided to do Woman a special favor, since she had been through that busy evening with him. He knew where the phone was.

A minute later, he came back, Woman's outer covering in his mouth.

Woman reached down and took it, then exclaimed "Paul Anka! You found my phone! In my pocket!"

------

Lorelai held the phone in her hand. She looked at the last number dialed. Speed dial number seven. She looked down at Paul Anka, who lay curled at her feet. And back at the phone. And then at her jacket. And then back at Paul Anka. And she smiled.

"C'mon, come upstairs with Mommy and Daddy."

"Jeez, Lorelai, I hate it when you act like that dog's your baby," Luke called down.

"Hey Hon, you want anything from downstairs? Glass of water?"

"Nope, I'm good," Luke hollered back. "Turn off all the lights, will ya?"

"Sure!" she called up the stairs.

-----

Next: Lorelai's list has two things on it. What about Luke's? 


	9. A Lifetime

Previously:  
"Nope, I'm good," Luke hollered back. "Turn off all the lights, will ya?"

"Sure!" she called up the stairs.

-----

Lorelai came out of the bathroom, ready for bed, comfortable in fleece sweats. Luke, already in bed, sat up, wondering when he'd have to show her his list.

It didn't taken him long to write everything down. He had gone over each item in his mind a thousand times in the past few months. It was a good list, he thought, not too long, not too short. Only needed two hands to count all the items.

As Lorelai got ready to climb into bed, she placed a piece of paper under her pillow.

"What the…?" Luke asked.

"Told you I was going to sleep on the list…" she replied.

"You're kidding."

"Most definitely not. You can sleep on yours, if you want," Lorelai assured him, "but you don't have to," she hastily added.

Luke placed his list on the nightstand, turned off the lamp and wrapped himself around Lorelai. Her head safely tucked under his chin, he fell asleep thinking of all he'd heard on the phone that night.

------

Mornings were Luke's favorite time of day before he became involved with Lorelai. And there were still some mornings, like this morning, when he could enjoy arising at an early hour. For one, since he'd been so foolhardy as to think they would elope this weekend, he'd arranged to be away from the diner all weekend. He looked over at Lorelai, who was still in a very deep sleep. A flood of feeling cascaded over him as he tenderly brushed the hair away from her face and watched her sleep.

He was so proud of the way she had faced the town last night. But as surprising (and moving) as that had been, he was even more surprised by the revelation that she'd felt he had shut her out of his and April's life. That had certainly not been his intention. Had he really hurt her that much?

Luke's attention turned to the nightstand, where the notepad with his list caught his eye. The list! It seemed like a silly idea and he'd only gone along with Lorelai's idea because he loved her and wanted to do something she wanted. But a funny thing happened as he placed each item to paper: the sheer stupidity of every item on the list except for one.

Luke looked at his list and reviewed each item. Yep, everything, except for the last entry, was still a stupid reason not to marry Lorelai. He quickly glanced over at her. She was still sleeping, now turned on her side. He rolled over and pulled her in close to him. Even in her sleep, she had a powerful influence on him. Calming, and energizing. He wondered how she would react to the list. Maybe he should re-write it, make some of the entries less stupid, he pondered.

Luke wondered what was on Lorelai's list. She probably had a much longer list than his. He chuckled, thinking how silly it was that Lorelai was literally sleeping on hers, having tucked it under her pillow the night before. Luke watched in morbid fascination as his hand somehow feigned fluffing Lorelai's pillow, and then reached underneath to retrieve her list. Luke quickly held it up; it was easy to read in the early morning light filtering into the room.

There were two items on the list. And one was a date. Underlined.

Luke guiltily looked at the first item. "Meet April, and maybe her mom. For real."

He could fix that one. That one was up to him.

The second entry was more perplexing. It was a date, in 2007, roughly seven months from now. It was underlined at least four times.

Luke had no idea why that date was there. It wasn't his birthday, it wasn't Lorelai's or Rory's either...Luke hated that. Now he'd have to ask Lorelai, and she'd make him guess, and when he couldn't, the explanation would take forever.

Luke tucked the list back under Lorelai's pillow, and then looked at the woman who still slept in his arms. Poor Lorelai, she was still so sleepy and tired.

Paul Anka stirred; time to let the creature out, Luke thought. He gently placed Lorelai's head back on her pillow and covered her. He quietly slipped out of bed and opened the door, following Paul Anka out and down the stairs.

-----

Coming back into the house with Paul Anka, Luke set about making coffee. Lorelai's purse was on the counter next to the coffeemaker, and as Luke moved it, her day timer beckoned to him. Curiosity about the date caused his hand to once again move without his wanting to. Opening the calendar, he turned to the end, where there was a page for the next year. The same date he'd seen on Lorelai's list was circled there, with a tiny asterisk to the right.

His eye slowly followed the asterisk to the bottom of the page. Nothing. Leave it to Lorelai to not follow the rules. His eye moved to the left. Also nothing. Then to the right margin. Next to another asterisk, Lorelai's flowery handwriting spelled out the words "Baby D."

"Baby D."

As if struck by lightening in the middle of a lake, Luke suddenly was galvanized into action. He put down the coffee filters he was holding and flipped to today's date and started looking at the entries for the past few weeks. And there, just yesterday morning, was the entry: "Hartford, Dr."

Even when he'd run cross-country, his heart had never beat so fast. He flipped through more of the day timer, and turned to the section where Lorelai stashed business cards. He dropped the day timer and at least fifty business cards spewed forth onto the floor.

Damn! He picked every single one of them up and looked at each.

And then he saw Lorelai's writing on the back of one card. Another date, with a time. Six weeks in the future. Flipping it over, his heart nearly exploded as he read the words: "Hartford Women's Clinic."

-----

Luke didn't like it when people ran inside houses. It was too dangerous, for one thing. In the diner, there were of course insurance issues. Sometimes Lorelai ran up the stairs in the house and he'd have to remind her about things like broken ankles and legs and slipping and cracking one's head.

But on this Saturday morning, he didn't give a damn.

Bursting into their room, any noise he'd made didn't awake Lorelai. Luke grabbed the notepad from the nightstand and quickly crossed out every entry except the last. "Introduce April to Lorelai." And then he turned his attention to his sleeping fiancée.

Suddenly everything about her seemed more important. Was she warm? She was wearing sweats. Were they too tight around her waist? Was she getting enough sleep?

Luke slipped into bed and gently kissed her on the shoulder.

"Mmmm…'morning," Lorelai murmured.

"Good morning," Luke replied in a solemn tone.

"Sleep well?" she continued murmuring.

"Yeah." Luke rubbed her arm as he answered.

Lorelai opened her eyes. "Hey."

Luke could not answer.

Lorelai blinked as she looked at Luke. Then blinked again. Something wasn't quite right…he had on his proud Daddy face, for one…yet April wasn't with him. And was his hand shaking?

"Luke, you OK?"

When he did speak, his voice was shaky. "How long have you known?"

-----

A few hours later, Luke and Lorelai still lay together in bed. Lorelai, once again tucked safely under Luke's chin, felt safe and happy and sated. Luke's hand rested possessively on her abdomen; she sighed, wondering when the pregnancy food rants would begin.

But then again, she wouldn't have it any other way. Because this time, it would be different.

For a lifetime, she would get to see Luke be a father to their child and his daughter. Both would know a father's love. For a lifetime, he would be with them. For a lifetime, she would watch Luke follow through on all his promises to the new baby and April.

For a lifetime, Luke would be there. In the morning, during the day, and in the evening. His presence in their lives would be motivated by wanting to be there for all of them.

For a lifetime, the new baby would know the security of a loving and caring father. "Dada," their baby would vocalize. "Dada, Dada," Lorelai would repeat, handing the baby to Luke. "Who's my daddy?" their three-year-old would ask, and Luke would say "me" and play with the kid. And the questions would not stop there; they'd only escalate through the years. "Why does Daddy have a boat in the garage?" "How long have you lived in Stars Hollow?" "Can we have my birthday party in the diner?" "Mom, did you like Dad when you first met him?" "Mom, why won't Dad let me wear this?" "Of all the daddies in the world, how did you become mine?" "Tell me about the day I was born?"

Luke stirred. "Let's talk to April this week and find out her schedule…"

Lorelai chimed in, "then check with Rory…"

And Luke finished: "then pick a date to be married."

Fin 


End file.
